Combined stamp magazine and feed.



C. B. EVERHART. COMBINED STAMP MAGAZINE AND FEED.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 25.1915.

Patented May 30, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

c. R. EVERHART. I

COMBINED STAM GAZINE AND FEED.

APPLICATION JUNEZfi. l9l5.

1,185,490. atented May 916.

2 $H[ETS Z- CHARLES RQEVERHART, or LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

COMBINED STAMP MAGAZINE AND FEED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma so, 1916.

Application filed June 25, 1915. Serial No. 36,334.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES R. EVERHART, a citizen of the United States, residingin the county of Loudoun and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Stamp Magazines and Feeds, of which the following is a specification.

The. present invention relates to a combined stamp magazine and feed.

In carrying out my invention I propose to provide a suitable receptacle having a revoluble drum therein, to provide a sheet of nonadhesive material, to arrange upon the said sheet a number of connected stamps and to wind both the sheet and the stamps around the drum, and further to perforate the sheet transversely to form the same with detachable elements correspondingin number with the number of the stamps, each of the said elements having figures impressed thereon, so that when one or more of the'stamps are separated from the remainder the number upon the next stamp to be detached will indicate the number of stamps already detached and removed from the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for stamps which will be normally in a closed position so that the stamps therein cannot be affected by weather conditions, the said receptacle being of a size sufficient to be conveniently carried in the pocket of a rural free delivery carrier or others having occasion to dispense stamps.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a stamp magazine which shall be of a simple construction, comparatlvely cheap to manufacture, readily operated to withdraw only a determined amount of stamps Y therefrom and which will accurately indicate the number of stamps removed from the said device.

With the above and other objects in vlew, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the closure being swung to 1ts open position, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately centrally throughFig. 1, Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view approximately on the line 4-4.- of Fig.

3, Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 4, Flg. 6 1s a detail perspective view of the bed plate or platen, Fig. 7 is a similar view of the bed plate cap, Fig. 8 is a similar view of the holder arm for the drum, and Fig. 9 is a detail central horizontal sectional view through the closed end of the casing and illustrating a modification, and Fig. 10 is a sectional view approximately on the line a2m of Fig. 9.

My device which is primarily intended for use by rural mail carriers may, of course, be conveniently employedby other officials of a post-ofiice or may be used in stores where stamps are usually purchased. The rural carriers are frequently called upon to dispose of stamps to residents of their route,

and, as far as the inventor is aware, no convenient means have been provided for holding the said stamps or for indicating to the carrier the amount of stamps he has disposed of during his trip. Not infrequently small tin boxes are employer for holding the stamps, which when opened, especially in windy and rainy weather very often results in a number of the stamps being blown out of the box and the moisture rendering the road muddy frequently results in the entire loss of a great number of stamps. Even if the stamps are recovered the carrier is forced to lose an amount of valuable time, and also after his trip is completed, he must render an account of the number of stamps sold and if such an account is not entered in a suitable book for this purpose at the time of the sale, it is not infrequent that con.

which engages with one ofthe edges of the flange 2 to retain the said closure in locked position upon the said flange and to close the open face of the receptacle 1. This receptacle 1, upon what I will term its rear face, is centrally provided upon its innersurface with an annular boss 6, the samebeing centrally formed with a round orifice or depression 7 and which is adapted to receive one of the ends of axles or trunnions 8--8 provided upon a drum 9. The central member or core of the drum is indicated by the numeral 11 and is preferably constructed of a Wooden spool, the same being split longitudinally, as at 12, and the side members of the drum preferably comprise metal disks 13-13. The peripheral edges of the disks are outturned so that a substantially flaring mouth for the drum is thus provided.

' The numeral 15 designates a strip of nonadhesive material which is adapted to be arranged upon the gummed faces of the stamps, and the said strip 15 1s provided with transverse weakened lines or perforations 16 which are adapted to be arranged to register with the perforations or divisions between the stamps l. The divisions of the non-adhesive strip 15 are provided with suitable indicia so that the operator can determine the number of stamps and the cost of the same after any number of the stamps have been removed from the remainder of the roll of stamps. In this connection it might be well to add that any number of reels, similar to the reel 9, may be employed, in which instance, the size of the receptacle 1 is of course varied to receive a number of drums and certain partitions are arranged within the said casingto receive the trunnions of the additional drums.

When the non-adhesive strip is properly arranged upon the gummed face of the stamps, so that the outermost stamp will overlie the device of the non-adhesive material, the last stamp of the series as well as the last division or partition of the nonadhesive strip 15 is inserted in the longitudinal slot 12 of the core 11 of the drum. The drum is then inserted in the casing so that one of the ends of its aXle or trunnion 8 is arranged within the depression 7 of the boss 6, as previously set forth. The opposite end of the axle or the second trunnion 8 finds a bearing in the central opening 17 provided with what I term a holder arm and which is indicated by the numeral 18. This arm has its opposite ends bent, one provided with a substantially L-shaped extension 19 and its second end forming a substantially V-shaped spring member 20, the outer end of said spring being formed with a tongue 21 which is arranged approximately flush with the inner face of the holder member 18. The L-shaped member is adapted to be received within an elongated slot 22 provided upon one side of the rim 2 of the easing or receptacle 1, and the substantially V- shaped spring member is adapted to be received in a suitable slot 23 upon the rim or flange 2 diametrically opposit. tll'. slot 22. The flange from its outer wall provided by the slot 23 is formed with a depression 2 1- within which is received the tongue 21 of the substantially \i-shaped spring 20 of the holder arm 18, This means of journaling the drums permits of the ready removal or the insertion of the same, as will, it is thought, be perfectly understood, it being merely necessary towithdraw the spring end 20 of the arm 18 from its pocket 23 and to arrange the same angularly of the flanged mouth of the casing to permit of the withdrawal of the angular or L-shaped end 19. It is to beunderstood that the longitudinal member 24 of the L-shaped member 18 con tacts with what may be termed the inner face of the flange 2, and if desired, the rim may be extended or pf'bjected within the area of the receptacle 1, so that the flanged ends of the holder arm 18 w ll not be exposed and also whereby the said member 18 will be protected against accidental displacement. The closure 4, however, may contact with the arm 18 and as long as the said closure is held in a latched position, the removal of the arm will be-eflectively prevented.

The body of the receptacle 1 is provided with a transversely arranged opening 25, one of the ends of the body being preferably flared outwardly, as at 26, and the opposite end has secured thereon an angular disposed bed, or platen 27. The platen comprises a substantially rectangular elongated member and the upper and outer face of the same is concaved or is channeled longitudinally, as indicated by the numeral 28. The inner face or end of the bed 27 is beveled or inclined downwardly toward the hollow body of the receptacle 1, as indicated by the numeral 29, and contacting with the said end 29 is the curved end 30 of a'flat spring 31 which has its free end secured to the body of the casing 1. The numeral 32 designates a cap for the bed or platen 27, the same having one of its ends pivotally secured to the body of the receptacle 1, as indicated by the numeral 33, a flat spring 3% which is also secured to the body of the receptacle 1, contacting with the hinged end of the cap to sustain the said cap either in a closed position upon the bed 27 or to sustain the same in an open position when the said cap is swung away and out of contact with the bed or platen 27. The bed cap 32 preferably comprises an arched member formed with an extending lip 35, the said lip being received within the channeled outer face 28 of the bed 27 and being disposed to aline with the outer edge of the said bed 27. The cap 32 also includes sides 36 which have their lower edges formed with outturned flanges 37, the said flanges adding to the resiliency of the metal sides and compressing the same against the sides of the bed 27 as well as providing means whereby the said cap may be swung to its open position. The stamps and strip are fed from the drum over the angular end 29 of the bed 27, being centacted by the lipped end 30 of the spring 31 and one of the stampsis arranged in the channeled face of the bed 27, the said bed being preferably of a size sufficient to receive only one of the said stamps and one of the divisions of the non-adhesive strip.

When the stamps are to be removed, the cap 37 is swung to its open position, and if, say, only one of the stamps is to be detached, the strips are moved until the perforated line between the end of the stamp and the perforated or weakened line between the first and second division of the tape are arranged in a line with the outer edge of the bed plate. The cap 37 is then swung to its closed position and the stamps and tape torn or detached by being brought into contact with the outer edge of the lip 35 of the cap. By raising the cap, the carrier will note, upon lifting the stamp, that the numeral 4 is upon the next division of the tape, and as a consequence will readily ascertain that one stamp has been removed and that two cents should be collected for the same. Now, if a quantity of the stamps are to be removed, say, twenty, after the first mentioned stamp has also been removed, the stamps will be pulled or drawn from the reel or drum over the bed until the twentieth stamp has its perforation arranged at the end of the said bed or platen. The cap is again swung to its closing position upon the said bed or platen and the stamps as well as the tape are removed as above set forth.

The tape may be wound around the removed stamps so as to protect the same, and when the cap 36 is again raised, the carrier will note that the division of the tape will indicate or register a character or number which will enable him to ascertain the number of stamps disposed of.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the disks 13 of the drum are provided upoiT their outer faces with circumferentially arranged teeth a and the holder member 18 has pivotally secured thereto a spring-pressed dog 5 which is adapted to engage with the teeth a. A spring yoke c has one of its ends secured to the bar 18', an adjusting element cl being arranged between its other end and the said bar 18, and the yoke is provided with a central stud e which is adapted to abut with the trunnion or shaft 8 of the drum. The dog 6 contacting with the teeth a prevents the rotation of the drum in one direction and the lug 6 upon the spring yoke 0 is adapted to increase the friction between the end of the shaft 8 and the drum so that the stamps cannot be accidentally unwound from the drum.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a stamp container and feed, a casing, a hinged closure for the casing, a reel journaled in the casing adapted to have wound thereon a strip of stamps, an arm removably connected with the casing for-sustaining the reel therein, a bed plate connected to the casing and adapted to receive the end stamp, a flat spring having a curved lip which bears against one of the ends of the bed plate and contacts with the stamp, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a stamp container and feed, a casing having an open end, a closure for said open end, a reel upon which a strip of stamps is wound, said reel having oppositely extending trunnions one journaled in a bearing in the casing, a removable holder arm connected with the casing and providing a bearing for the second trunnion of the reel, a bed plate having its upper face channeled. longitudinally to receive the stamps from the reel, a spring member contacting with the stamp upon the said plate for retaining the same in the channel of the bed plate, and a hinged cap for the bed plate.

8. In a stamp container and feed, a casing having an open face which is flanged, a closure for said open face, a reel upon which a strip of stamps is wound, said reel having laterally extending trunnions, one of which being journaled' in a bearing in the inner face of the casing, a holder arm removably secured to the flange of the casing and providing a bearing for the second trunnion of the reel, the casing having a transverse opening, an angularly arranged bed plate disposedto partially close the said opening, said plate having its outer face channeled longitudinally and its inner end beveled, a flat spring member having a rounded lip contacting with the beveled end of the bed plate, spring means for retaining the cap in either an open or closed position, said cap having a lip disposed in the channel of the bed plate, and which is disposed in the outer end of said bed plate, all as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. EVERHART.

Witnesses GORDON BREADY, J. R. RAU. 

